How Many Drinks a Week Makes Me an Alcoholic?

The lines between social drinking, alcohol abuse and alcoholism are extremely thin. Crossing them warrants no special “aha” moment; generally, the drinker doesn’t consciously digest that alcohol has become a problem until he or she is a few miles past the last line. If the drinker ever felt a slight inclination that the habit developed into full-force alcoholism, he or she probably shrugged it off in denial. So, how do you know if you are an alcoholic?